The World I Know
by bridgetlynn
Summary: If gravity shifts sometimes the only thing to do is fight to keep your balance. True love doesn't happen right away; it's an ever growing process no matter what magic, and everyone else, might demand. Lasting love is quietly and slowly, built upon a foundation of friendship, trust and devotion anything less is just fragile walls waiting to be destroyed by the first storm that hits.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing associated with the Twilight franchise. The universe and all it's elements were created by Stephanie Meyer and published by Little, Brown and Company. The movies are distributed by Summit Entertainment and produced by Wyck Godfrey, Mark Morgan, Greg Mooradian, Karen Rosenfelt and Stephanie Meyer. I've only read about seven Twilight fics in my life so I'm pretty sure I can't even say I've been 'inspired' by anyone either.

**Pairing(s):** all canon pairings will be addressed. Embry/OC (eventual). Jared/Kim.

**'Soundtrack' suggestions** (just 'cause):  
The World I Know - Collective Soul

* * *

**_January 2004_**

Life used to make sense.

I would get up, get dressed, walk down the block to my cousin Jared's house and get a ride to La Push High School. At school I knew 'my place' in the pecking order as a freshman. Basically, I didn't really have one. We might be a small high school compared to most; but by god did we follow the societal rules.

Jocks and Preps. Stoners and Slackers. Overachievers. Computer Nerds. Band Geeks.

We all have our place.

Super quiet, quirky 'artsy' freshmen were at the bottom of the food chain. So far at the bottom, in fact, that we are even over-looked as bullying targets.

I _liked_ it down there damnit.

That all changed a little over two weeks ago when Jared suddenly disappeared, in the middle of the night, for three days leaving my parents, my aunt and uncle, his stalker and myself frantic.

I think I was the only one who was a little less then pleased when he finally showed up with Sam Uley, looking more then a little worse for wear (and dangerously strung out if you asked me - no one did), coming back from a 'spiritual journey'. Call me crazy, but seeing my Mom and Aunt cry for three days thinking my cousin was dead shouldn't just get pushed under the rug 'cause the Council's new golden boy said so.

Speaking of which; it's funny how the Council didn't know fuck-all about a spiritual journey when Jared _first_ disappeared and then suddenly, when he showed back up, they were telling us all about it. Apparently, it was a big secret 'coming of age' journey special young men, 'selected by the Council' take around the age of sixteen. The length of time can differ for each young man.

They couldn't tell us about it (or ya know, ask permission) until he returned.

I asked my father and my uncle and they both shrugged; they certainly hadn't taken one. Considering they both got full scholarships to Ivy League universities by the time they graduated La Push High I wasn't certain what exactly the Council considered 'special'.

However, I _was_ pretty certain that Jared's apparent new use of anabolic steroids was going to ruin his chance at the baseball scholarship to Stanford he's been all but promised (as a freaking Junior!) providing the regional team he pitches for wins Nationals again this year.

I mean, I know we're Native American and that it's a 'cultural thing' (best excuse _ever_); but I'm pretty sure the scouts won't consider smoking weed in a pipe around a fire the same as jabbing a needle into your bicep to bulk up.

Jared didn't take too kindly to my questioning of it either (when he wasn't able to avoid me). First my forever mellow cousin actually lost his temper and then informed me that since I'm only half-Quileute I 'don't understand taking pride in my tribal history'. I threw a pillow at his head and walked out.

My 'half' status had never bothered him before his little journey; and it's not like I really look it either. Sure I'm a _little_ paler then the rest of the kids in my grade and my eyes are dark blue but I've never been mistaken for anything other then Native. Considering I go to school with kids who get "spanish" when we're off the Res I'd say I'm doing pretty well.

Shit, it's not my fault that my Dad's apparently got a thing for red-heads and my Mom is basically straight off the boat Irish. If anyone in my family was going to have a problem with that they probably shouldn't have let my Dad go Harvard Law. Boston is like the U.S. Irish Mecca. Of course he brought home a souviner.

Technically two of them if you count me.

And who is me?

James Lee Cameron. Call me Jaime as my name is a particular pet-peeve of mine. According to my Dad it's the result of an obstetrics resident who wasn't very adept at reading sonograms yet and my mother's insistence that the nursery be completed before my birth.

Completed and including more then a few monogrammed pieces of furniture.

I decided when I was eight, and I fully understood why I had a boy's name, that lawyers are incredibly lazy.

They couldn't re-paint anything?

Or, I dunno, use the stuff for my younger brother who came along three years later? No, him they named Spencer (which I must point out is nicely androgynous). _His_ stuff wasn't monogrammed. Nor was it _blue_.

Just in case.

I digress; back to why life used to make sense.

I'm no longer invisible at La Push High. I can no longer eat my lunch quietly in the art room and work on sketches. Upper classmen suddenly know my name.

This should be the dream of any, somewhat normal, freshmen. Instead I'm contemplating homicide for the next time Jared's psycho stalker or the baseball team or even a teacher corners me and asks about my cousin.

Someone should clue in the Council, for the next time one of their 'special young men' takes an unscheduled (and not parental approved) spiritual journey, that people ask questions when a 'special young man' (who happens to be a star athlete and straight-A student) still hasn't returned after two weeks. Especially, when he's seen strolling around the Res with someone that graduated a semester earlier, whom he wasn't ever friends with.

When that person also happened to suddenly turn down a full athletic scholarship after pulling their own disappearing act (excuse me, 'spiritual journey') those questions get a bit more pointed and nervous.

So yea, life _used_ to make sense.

* * *

**Note (please read): **The story is the result of a lengthy conversation I had with a friend (who is a fairly obsessed Twilight fan) regarding the Twilight universe; specifically, the subject of imprinting. To me, imprinting is one of the most horrid examples of the subjugation of free will I have ever read about; and while sometimes it works out, in many cases the kindest description of it would be, 'mystical roofie'.  
Something you must know about me before reading this - I am probably not what you could exactly call a Twilight 'fan'. I find the _universe_ that was created to be interesting (despite it's many mis-steps) but the actual written document, the prose, to be juvenile and pedestrian. The fact that we are forced to view the series through Bella's eyes puts a filter on what could have been an honestly fantastic series of books. The mythology and history that could have been explored was instead watered down into a sappy 'love' story that was more nausea inducing then anything else.  
This story itself will focus more on the wolf-pack but will take into account the general overall storyline of the novels, as viewed through someone else's eyes...someone who doesn't just smile and nod and say, 'well, okay then', when presented with some kind of 'magical' excuse. I've tweaked the timeline a _little_ bit in places because the 'official' timeline pretty much likes to contradict itself and I'm a big fan of logic, even in fantasy fiction. It's nothing that should be terribly noticeable and nothing that really effects the storyline itself. We begin about a year prior to the novel "Twilight".

Any other A/N's will not be novel length. Promise.

Reviews and constructive criticism are much loved an appreciated. Flames will be used for marshmallows.


	2. Chapter One

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing associated with the Twilight franchise. The universe and all it's elements were created by Stephanie Meyer and published by Little, Brown and Company. Summit Entertainment owns the movie rights. Full lengthy do not sue me disclaimer in Prologue.

**'Soundtrack' Suggestions:**  
Misguided Ghosts - Paramore

* * *

**_February 2004_**

"Hey asshole!" Jamie Cameron shouted as she walked through the back door of her cousin's house after school. It was the first day he had been back to classes, after missing three weeks, and after a fairly normal morning routine Jamie was finding herself back in weird circumstances. She briefly paused to drop her bag on the kitchen table and grab a cookie out of the jar near the stove before continuing into the living room which was empty except for her cousin's backpack and a second bag she didn't recognize.

"Jared?!" she shouted once more, again receiving no reply. "I know you're home fucker. Your car is out front," she added, loudly, jogging up the stairs towards his bedroom. When you drive someone to and from school you aren't supposed to leave without them Holy Fuck", Jamie shrieked the last part as she opened her cousin's bedroom door fully to the sight of him with his tongue down a girl's throat.

"Jamie?" he asked, sounding slightly dazed and looking at her in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"I think the better question is what you're doing J," she replied, staring at the girl on the bed in shock and, probably a little, horror. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"I'm a little busy Jamie," he responded, laughing slightly.

"Yea, well, it's a little important."

Jared groaned and lightly kissed the girl before hopping up and following Jamie out of the room, "I'll be right back Kimmy."

Jamie quickly dragged her cousin down the hallway and into the bathroom, closing the door tightly behind him. She then turned the faucet up high and stared at him with a serious expression before taking a deep breath and began speaking, "Okay, so, this is kind of awkward but I honestly never thought I'd be in this position."

"If you dragged me down here to apologize for not knocking I'm going to laugh at you."

"What? Christ no," she muttered, shaking her head. "Okay, so, you know your psycho-stalker? The one you didn't want to know the name of because you were afraid if you knew who it was you might accidentally pay her more attention thereby encouraging her?"

"Shit yea," he responded nodding. "Has she been bothering you again about me?"

Jamie rolled her eyes and smacked her palm to her forehead, "No."

"Then what is it?"

"She's in your bedroom," she told him blandly and almost laughed at the confused expression that crossed his face as he turned his head to look in the direction his bedroom was.

"No way," Jared denied.

"Yes way Jared. The crazy bitch introduced herself to me once as Kim CameruhhDavies. Nicely stumbling our last name before she probably realized how insane that would have sounded."

"Don't call Kim crazy!" Jared snapped and Jamie found herself actually taking a step back in shock. "She's not crazy. She's wonderful."

"And apparently has you completely snowed," Jamie muttered. "Look cuz, she writes your name all over her books. I've seen her walk down our block randomly. She sits in the stands at your baseball practices. Hell, she's sat next to you in at least one class a year since you were freshmen and you've never spoken more then two words to her before today."

"That's not possible," Jared insisted. "I could have never have purposefully ignored Kim that way. I love her and she loves me; it just took me a while to realize it."

Jamie blinked and shook her head incredulously before asking, "Okay, so, the very same psycho you used to make fun of behind her back and joke about restraining orders with me over is suddenly the great love of your life?"

She watched as Jared appeared to consider her words before he nodded, "Yes. I thought about it and realize now that Kim wasn't a stalker. She just knew in her soul that we belong together. Maybe, just maybe, she was a little over enthusiastic; but she's a very happy person so that comes across in everything she does."

"And you know her so well that you know she's a very happy person?"

"Of course I do. We're soul-mates. I'm sure of it."

"And, just when did you decide this?" she questioned.

"Last period. I asked her for a pencil and I looked at her and I knew," he whispered, staring off into space like he was remembering the moment. "Anyway, we got to talking after class and I invited her over and that was that."

"So, an hour and a half ago you officially met her after sitting next to her in, at least, this one class since September and now you have your tongue down her throat? Better wrap it up Jar; bitch'll take any shot to get you forever."

It was when Jared practically growled in response that Jamie wondered if maybe she had gone too far; but remembering being followed around, herself, for almost three weeks by the girl in question, over Jared's missing school she decided she hadn't.

"Don't talk about her like that Jamie. And don't make it sound so dirty. She loves me and I love her."

"And I'm starting to think that you've taken one too many fastballs to the head and are adding a hallucinogen to your steroids."

"Fucking shit Jamie. How many times do I have to tell you I'm not using drugs?!"

"Yea the screaming and mood swings really helps your argument," she drawled back in response. "Can I ask you something?" she added after they had stared each other down for a few seconds.

"I guess? Is it more about Kim? Cause I don't want you to insult her anymore."

Jamie rolled her eyes and waved his response away with her hand, "What about Mel?"

"Mel?" Jared questioned, looking honestly confused much to Jamie's shock.

"Yes. Mel. Melanie Harper. Junior at La Push. Co-Captain of the cheer leading squad. Good friend of yours that you have been working up the courage to ask out as you have been half in love with her since you were eleven. Girl that is fully expecting you to ask her out. I mean, shit, I don't know _why_ you like her but at least you actually_ know _her."

"Mel's...Mel. I don't know what I was thinking. It was probably because I was such an idiot to have ignored Kim. Besides, I'm not going to be hanging out with that whole group anymore."

Jamie blinked and stared back at Jared before sputtering out a shocked question, "You're not going to be friends with...but Jared, they've been your friends since little league! You've hung out with the same six guys since you were eight."

"Eh," he replied shrugging. "It's time for a change. Sam and I are doing important stuff for the Council now," he elaborated in the vaguest way possible.

"Stuff for the Council."

"Yes," he responded, nodding. "I'm not getting into it. Mom and Dad have accepted it."

"If worried, nervous and jumpy are your definitions of accepting then sure they have," she shot back and rolled her eyes.

"You don't understand Jamie. I'm glad you don't."

"Yea," Jamie agreed, staring at him again. "Right, anyway. I'm going home now," she finally added, sounding more then a little disgusted, which as of late had become her normal feelings towards Jared's recent attitude adjustment.

She quickly pushed past him and walked down the hall with Jared following behind her quickly. Just before she went down the stairs Jamie turned to say good-bye and stared in surprise as Jared's door quickly closed behind him as though she hadn't even been standing there.

"What the fuck? Spirit journey my ass," she muttered and nearly ran down the stairs, grabbing her bag on the way out the backdoor to walk the rest of the way home.

* * *

**_May 2004_**

"Jamie can you come in here a minute?"

Jamie glanced up from her history text book and looked at where her mother was standing in the back door of their house. She nodded and gathered her things together off the picnic table before walking into the house, surprised to find her Aunt and Uncle sitting with her parents at the kitchen table.

"What's up? Aren't you guys supposed to be at work?"

Jamie couldn't remember the last time she'd seen her parents before seven o'clock in the evening any day other then a Sunday.

"We told all our client's we'd be out of the office this afternoon," her father replied to her question and pointed to an empty seat at the table.

The four adults owned a law firm in Port Angeles; they were a popular and well received firm because each had specialized in a different type of law while at school. Her father, Jeffrey, was a tax and real estate attorney, her mother, Maureen, handled family and divorce law, her Aunt Diane specialized in corporate and contract law and her Uncle Peter had focused on criminal law. Essentially, if you needed a lawyer you could go to them no matter what you needed representation for.

It had initially been a gamble; but after a few years of working in Boston her parents had tired of the city and migrated back to La Push to settle down and have children resulting in the opening of their own firm fourteen years ago a year after Jamie was born. Two years after that her Uncle had decided to leave the DA's office, where he had been working locally out of the Callum County Courts, and her Aunt had chosen to leave the bank, whose legal department she had run to join Jamie's parents firm.

This many years later both families lived a comfortable life. They weren't what could be termed 'wealthy' or 'spoiled' but the three kids they had between them had never known what it was like to go without. Jamie, Spencer and Jared had always known they were lucky in that respect and their parents had instilled in them that their good fortune was a result of a strong work ethic and education.

After she sat down Jamie chanced a look at the adults, all of whom looked quite serious, and asked nervously, "What'd I do?"

"Nothing sweetheart," her aunt replied quickly. "But we did want to talk to you about Jared."

"Oh boy," she mumbled, more then a little surprised that this conversation had taken as long as it had to come about.

Since Jared had come back to school and started dating Kimberly Davies he had become even more of a pod person. At first the adults were willing to overlook things; after all, it was a new relationship and they were teenagers. It was expected that they'd be wrapped up in each other.

It wasn't until another three weeks had passed that they all realized something was really wrong.

His grades were slipping, he had quit both La Push High's baseball team and the State Regional baseball team he had played for since he was fourteen, he snuck out at all hours of the night and any and all his time that wasn't spent inside of the school building seemed to be spent with either Kim or Sam Uley.

"Have you noticed anything that might be a reason for this behavior? Did he tell you if we were pushing him too hard?" her aunt asked with glassy eyes that broke Jamie's heart.

Her aunt and uncle were some of the nicest people in the world and didn't deserve for their only child to suddenly one day up and seemingly turn into a juvenile delinquent.

"Honestly? This was just as out of left field for me as it was you guys," she answered honestly. "Right before he went on that little walkabout for the Council, or whatever it was, he was pumped that practices were starting again. The scout from Stanford wrote that he was excited to see Jared play this season and told him that if the team won another National Championship that Jared was basically guaranteed a scholarship, especially since his grades were so good. And then...pod person."

"I knew it, we pushed him too hard," Diane mumbled. "He never rebelled before. I suppose I should be glad he hasn't been arrested for something yet. And that girl! Argh," she continued, frantically rambling.

Jamie choked back a laugh, immensely glad that she wasn't the only one who was disgusted and surprised at Jared's new relationship.

"She isn't _that_ bad Diane," Jamie's Uncle Peter interjected.

"Isn't that bad? What planet are you living on Peter?! She's _always_ at our house. I had to ask her to leave the other day when I got home because she was there alone. "

"She was at your house without Jared there?" Maureen asked her sister-in-law, looking shocked.

"Oh yes," Diane replied, rolling her eyes. "The little tramp had the audacity to tell me that _Jared_ said it was okay. _He_ gave her a key. That they'd be getting married eventually so it was _okay_. I nipped that right in the bud, let me tell you! That little, argh, she seduced my baby boy. I found condoms in his sock drawer, thank god. _At least _he's using protection. There will be no wedding anytime soon; not at all."

Jamie snickered and watched as the two women began berating Jared's girlfriend back and forth together while her father and her uncle just sat there looking exasperated.

"Ladies?" Jamie's uncle finally interrupted. "Can we focus more on the fact that Jared's average is slipping into C territory rather then his apparently horrendous choice in a girlfriend?"

"Don't you sit there and act like you aren't proud of him for the condoms either Peter," Diane shot back, glaring slightly and shaking a finger in her husbands face as he rolled his eyes slightly.

"Diane, wife of mine? He's seventeen. He's not a baby. He can sleep with the entire cheer leading squad _and_ the baseball team for all I care as long as his grades stay where they should be."

"Hey, umm, why isn't _Jared_ here?" Jamie finally asked, trying to get the conversation off her cousin's sex life and back on some type of track, then frowned when all the adults looked at her with a pitying expression. "What? I thought it was a logical question."

"It would be a waste of time," Peter admitted. "The Council has informed me that my concerns are noted but that Jared is doing important work that will enrich his tribe. Yadda Yadda. Etcetera Etcetera. I reminded Billy Black and Old Quil Ateara that he was still my son and still under eighteen and they pretty much just stared at me until I went away."

"I still don't understand why Harry is going along with whatever this is. Sue doesn't either; though she's hiding it much better as a wife of an Elder. Whatever they're doing has broken Leah's heart! You'd think he'd worry about his own family and keep his nose out of ours," Diane continued to rant to Maureen, basically ignoring the men.

"Basically, your mother and aunt wanted to have a bitch session," Jamie heard her father add under his breath.

"Okayyyy," Jamie mumbled uncomfortably. "Well, I told you all I know and I promise not to start dating any weird boys, having sex with them or giving them keys to our house. So I'm going to let you all have your bitch session and I'm going to go and study for finals."

"Ya better not be having relations wit' anyone young lady! Yer only fifteen an' I can still take a switch to that behind of yers like me Da used to do to me an' me brothers," Jamie heard her mother yell, the brogue which was normally softened by years of living in the States suddenly back at full throttle as she 'got her Irish up', before she closed her bedroom door.

* * *

Three days later Jamie decided to bite the bullet on something she had been putting off for almost two months. The conversation with her family had essentially forced her hand, as it reminded her of something very important and possibly significant, and she just prayed that she didn't wind up with a black eye over this.

"Leah?" Jamie asked quietly as she stopped by the senior girl's locker at the end of the school day. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

Leah Clearwater and Jamie Cameron had never been friends, there were four years in age between them, but there had never been a single bit of animosity between them either. Their mother's were friendly so as children they would occasionally play together as as neither were particularly 'girlie' they had always been able to find some common ground. She hoped that trend would continue now.

Before Leah could answer her question, Jamie continued to stare up at the slightly taller girl and frowned, mentally recounting the last few months and comparing circumstances and not liking the similarities she was seeing.

Leah sighed and finally responded, "Yea. Sure Jamie. What's up?"

Jamie bit her lip and reorganized her opening statement carefully, "Okay, I know you don't want to talk about it. But I really need to ask you about Sam."

"Is this about your cousin?" Singing a mental hallelujah over the fact that Leah was very far from stupid, Jamie nodded and waited. "Honestly Jamie, they were never friends. He never hung out with us. They were both jocks but they played different sports ya know? I have no idea what the fuck is going on with their buddy-buddy thing now."

"Yea, I get that. It's just...Sam disappeared, Sam came back looking like Mr. Universe, Sam went from being just another guy on the Res, admittedly one that had a decent future laid out, to being the Council's golden boy-toy. Then he suddenly broke up with you and starts chasing your cousin around. It's just, weird."

"I know all this Jamie," Leah responded quietly, looking slightly aggravated. "No need to recap."

"I'm sorry," she honestly apologized. "I was sort of thinking out loud. Jared disappeared and all that and suddenly he's completely in love with this chick that he never spoke to before. A girl who used to basically stalk his ass and whenever she got mentioned, even in passing, he honestly got twitchy and looked like he wanted to hide. Now he quit baseball, his grades are slipping and he spends all his time with psycho-Kim, your ex and his new girlfriend at their place."

"Point Jamie. Please make it," Leah practically growled and Jamie inched away slightly.

"This is coming out all wrong," she mumbled. "Alright, I'll bottom line it. Did you notice _anything _about Sam before he disappeared or after he came back that was totally weirdly out of character? Like he had been, umm, altered?"

Leah frowned and looked like she was actually thinking about it before she slowly nodded, "Yea, he was pretty easy to anger. Right before he disappeared we were fighting a _lot_ and it was very really stupid shit. What made it weird is normally I'm the one that's got the temper. I mean, Sam _was_ capable of losing it; but it took a lot to _really_ set him off. Usually had to be something about his Dad; otherwise he was mister chill. We used to balance each other out which is why we worked. I'd get angry, he'd be the logical one that'd cool me down and help me work through things piece by piece while I'd be the one to rile him up when necessary if he was too mellow."

"Right, okay, that's what I was looking for," Jamie responded smiling slightly albeit nervously. "Now, did he know Emily before he suddenly had a lobotomy?"

Leah frowned and asked, "What'd you mean? He knew who she was."

"No, had he ever _met _her before or truly interacted with her? Say, umm, in depth conversations or something like that. I know you and Emily were close and saw each other often. So is there any reason to believe he may have had feelings for her that had been growing for a while and...theoretically, just _theoretically_...he had been hiding them from you and finally broke up with you cause he felt guilty?" she explained. "Please don't hit me," she added quickly.

Leah glared at Jamie and slammed her locker shut causing the younger girl to jump in slight fear before the older girl froze, and Jamie could practically see her words penetrate fully. Leah seemed to think for a second and then whispered, "No."

"No?"

"No, I mean, I had _told_ Sam about Emily, nothing in depth or elaborate beyond that she was my cousin and best friend and I adored her, but something always came up when it came to them meeting. The timing was always off. She visited during the summer's and he was usually at football camp. Or I went up to the Makah Res during winter break but he had to work so he couldn't come with me. They _never_ met before my birthday party and he pretty much left, at most, ten minutes after she got there."

"Christ...did they even talk?"

"I...umm...I don't know now that you mention it," Leah replied, suddenly looking more confused then pissed off.

"So my cousin suddenly falls in love with a girl that scared the shit out of him in less then an hour after he comes back from some spiritual retreat that the Council lays claim to and your boyfriend of three years suddenly falls in love with your cousin at first sight after the same damned 'retreat'?"

"Uh-huh," Leah mumbled looking down and Jamie groaned.

"Leah! Snap out of it. Am I the only one who thinks something fucked up is going on? I mean, Jared could possibly be explained away as being sixteen and thinking with his dick. For all her faults Kim isn't exactly unattractive. Plus he was single and she was more then willing. But Sam? I might not know Sam real well; but he never struck me as an asshole. Even if he had been _physically _attracted to Emily after meeting her that'd be a normal physiological response. I've seen her, she's pretty. But you don't suddenly fall into the emotional spectrum instantaneously at first sight; especially not when you've been dating someone for three years. Especially not with their cousin. And _if_ you do somehow develop feelings for someone else; especially in those circumstances? You agonize over that shit for a _long_-ass time."

Leah wiped at her eyes and nodded, "He broke up with me two days after my birthday party and started chasing after Emily almost right after that. Shit, she didn't even leave my house during those two days. I was all freaked out that he was going to disappear again so she stayed with me. She couldn't have talked to him during that either."

"And what'd she do _after_ he broke up with you?"

"Bitch moved in with him!"

"Right away?" Jamie questioned carefully trying to find more parallels between the two couples in question. Unfortunately, Kim's psycho-stalking of Jared was throwing off her data. The girl would fall all over herself if Jared even sneezed in her direction before all of this.

"Actually, no," Leah admitted. "It took until September when she had that accident with the bear for her to even accept him as potentially more then friends. Hell, she spent the four months between my birthday and her accident either avoiding him like it was her job or bitching to me about what an asshole he was for breaking up with me and thinking he had a chance with her," Leah explained. "I was really grateful for that," she added almost fondly before shaking her head and firming up her expression. "She finally moved in with him last November."

"So, basically, they were sort of together for two months before she moved in with him? Taking you out of the equation and all that drama? That's still pretty fucking fast for two eighteen year olds; even more so if you consider that they basically just met."

Leah frowned again, but this time it was contemplative, and nodded, "It really is."

"What was your families reaction?"

"My Mom's pissed off like you wouldn't believe, my aunt and uncle are disgusted with her behavior but aren't not talking to her that I know of. I think if she hadn't been attacked by the bear they'd be more pissed. I can't really fault them for that."

"And your Dad?" Jamie prodded.

"Dad's...way too accepting for my tastes. He basically tells me that you can't fight true love and then turns around and sings Sam's praises. You'd think he could at least pretend to be pissed off for my sake. Mom made him sleep on the couch for like a month until he stopped pushing me to be nice to Sam and Emily."

"Council's golden boy," Jamie mumbled and Leah nodded. "Alright, thanks Leah. I really appreciate you not kicking my ass over this and I'm sorry that I had to drag it up and upset you."

"It's alright Jamie. I know you're just worried about Jared," Leah responded. "I gotta get going."

"Bye Leah," Jamie waved the older girl off and kept standing there, thinking through the conversation they had just had.

Nothing was adding up or making a single bit of sense. What was she supposed to tell her family?

"Oh, I think the Council is drugging and brainwashing the boys on the Res and arranging relationships for them. Right, 'cause that makes sense ya idiot. Besides, I can just hear Dad now, 'two boys does not a focus group make Jamie. You'll need more data to build your case'," she muttered and pushed off the wall, heading down the hallway to leave the school and walk home as she had long given up on getting a ride home from school with Jared anymore.

She knew she needed more information before she could prove that something weird, or just possibly extremely illegal, was going on; but she also knew that more data under the circumstances she had been observing with Sam and Jared would be very, very bad. She almost wished that whatever had happened would be forced to remain a mystery for that reason alone.

However, much as Jamie was an artist, she had been raised by lawyers and was therefore also a realist.

"To quote Ian Flemming; 'Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action' soooo, I wonder who's next," she whispered to herself and let her eyes scan the parking lot, frowning when she spotted Jared and Kim staring across the lot at something.

"Or...someone?" she muttered, following her cousin's line of sight until it landed on a group of boys she knew to be mostly in Jared's year. They were the slacker types, the ones who would usually be the first to be in trouble for a prank or for having drugs on campus or just simply skipping school constantly.

They were exactly the types of guys her cousin had never had on his radar, ever. So, there was only one reason that he'd be paying them any attention now.

"Fuck me...please tell me the Council isn't into some 'Disturbing Behavior' fix the bad kids type bullshit," she whispered.

* * *

**_July 2004_**

Jamie was packing up her art supplies at the tail end of sunset on First Beach when she heard loud laughter getting closer. She peered down the beach and saw a small group putting together a bonfire; squinting she was able to make out shapes and quickly recognized four of the five figures.

Jared, Kim, Sam and Emily.

It was the fifth that was only a marginal surprise to her. Though she had to admit she was very surprised to see him by himself based on what the other two boys had gone through.

"Guess he hasn't been fixed up yet," she mumbled, shaking her head and continued to pack her things before hurrying in the opposite direction away from the bonfire. It would take her a little longer to get home that way but she had taken to avoiding Jared whenever possible as of late. His temper was almost volatile towards her; and it all seemed to stem from the fact that he knew she disliked his girlfriend and 'couldn't stop asking questions about things that were none of her business'. He only _just_ managed to keep it under wraps around their parents and she was sure that had more to do with the fact that both of them had been practically programmed from birth to show respect towards adults.

Also, the newest member of their little club had scared the shit out of Jamie since they were kids.

Paul Lahote. Violent. Trouble-maker. Man-whore of La Push High extraordinaire.

Her thoughts went back to that day in May when she had spoken to Leah and saw Jared staring at Paul's usual group. Nothing had initially come of it and Jamie had put the thoughts from her mind where they had stayed until the end of June, a week after school had let out, when Paul had suddenly disappeared. Unfortunately, knowing Paul there had been every chance that he had honestly just taken off. She had prayed that he had just gotten sick of his home life and run away.

His presence with her cousin and Sam was only confirmation to the teen that something was going on and no one was fessing up to it.

"I hate being right," she grumbled after taking one last glance back at the group, swearing she could feel their eyes on her the entire time.

* * *

**A/N:** So, Jamie's a little off base...but not so much either. While reading New Moon, once we found out about the wolf-pack, I always wondered what the transformations and seeming personality shifts and lifestyle changes would look like to someone on the outside. Especially if that someone knew one of the wolves particularly well before hand.  
I hope no one thought Leah to be OOC. I sort of approached it as Jamie is someone a) younger then her who she knew fairly well b) didn't have anything to do with the Sam BS c) Leah still just thinks Sam and Emily are assholes and there's no great 'fate' thing involved that is telling her 'oh, you love him...he's not your soul mate. tough luck bitch. BTW...grow fur now'. I figure she got a lot more psychotic after the whole turning into a wolf thing.  
I should also say that I don't particularly hate Kim's character - we barely know enough about her to really form an opinion but what we DO know has always seemed so freaking weird to me. Have a little self-respect. Yea, okay, you've got a crush on him...but the idiot sat next to you forever and didn't realize you were alive and now he's in love with you? Umm, yea, okay.

Reviews and constructive criticism are much loved and appreciated. Flames are not.


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